UEFA has set precedent for banning Crystal Palace from Europe amid claims they could lose Europa League spot
UEFA has already set a precedent as reports emerged claiming Crystal Palace will hold an ‘emergency summit’ with the governing body on Tuesday.
Crystal Palace are due to compete in the 2025/26 Europa League, having qualified after their 1-0 FA Cup final victory against Manchester City in May.
However, on Monday (June 2), it emerged that Palace may be banned from the competition.
The Mail reported that due to US businessman and Palace part-owner John Textor also being a majority shareholder in Ligue 1 side Lyon, who will also take part in the Europa League, they could face issues.
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UEFA regulations are in place to “ensure the integrity of the UEFA club competitions (i.e. UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League)”.
The rules make clear that “No one may simultaneously be involved, either directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition”.
Or “no individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition, such control or influence”, such as “holding a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights; having the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body of the club; being a shareholder and alone controlling a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights pursuant to an agreement entered into with other shareholders of the club".
Rules also state that the club that finished higher in their respective league would take the place, which in this case is Lyon, and Palace would drop to the Conference League.
But, that would create another issue, as the majority owner of Palace, co-owner David Blitzer, is the majority shareholder of Brondby, who will take part in the Conference League.
The Mail claims that Palace have officially declined to comment, but it is understood that they are 'confident' of their participation in the Europa League as Textor only holds 25 per cent of voting rights at the club and 'does not make decisions in his own right'.
UEFA have already set a precedent for teams that breach their regulations.
AC Milan, who qualified for the Europa League after finishing fifth in Serie A, were forced to serve a one-year ban from European football over breaches of Financial Fair Play rules, which saw them miss out on Europe in the 2019/20 season.
As a result, Roma moved up to the Europa League group stage while their place in the qualifying rounds was taken by seventh-placed Torino. If this was the case in England, Brighton could secure the spot in Palace's place.
It must be noted that this is a different type of potential rule breach and therefore a potential sanction may also be different to the one handed to Milan.
SPORTbible has contacted Crystal Palace Football Club for comment.
Topics: Crystal Palace, Europa League, UEFA, Lyon, Football
Luke Davies